Valhalla, New York
| Valhalla | |
|---|---|
| CDP | |
Kensico Dam at the Kensico Reservoir in Valhalla
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 Location of Valhalla, New York |
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| Coordinates: 41°4′30″N 73°46′31″W / 41.07500°N 73.77528°WCoordinates: 41°4′30″N 73°46′31″W / 41.07500°N 73.77528°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Westchester |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2) |
| • Land | 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 256 ft (78 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,162 |
| • Density | 3,900/sq mi (1,500/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 10595 |
| Area code(s) | 914 |
| FIPS code | 36-76639 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0968353 |
Valhalla is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located within the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The name of the community was inspired by a fan of the opera composer Richard Wagner, and the celebrated status of this hamlet comes primarily from its location as the burial places of the remains of numerous well-known people. The name comes from Valhalla, a heavenly abode in Norse mythology.
Valhalla gained its name when it was necessary to name a new U.S. post office in the 19th century, due to the flooding of a pre-existing town and post office, Kensico, which is now underneath the lake created by the Kensico Dam (a part of the New York city water supply system). According to local historians and published works, the wife of a postmaster was a devoted fan of the works of the composer Richard Wagner, and she shared that composer's interest in Norse mythology. Her preference led to the choice of the name "Valhalla", after the heavenly paradise of slain warriors in that mythology. It is most generally agreed that Xavier Reiter, a French horn player with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, a Wagner devotee, suggested that the post office name of "Valhalla" be adopted. The village still maintains its association with death through noted people who were buried in its cemeteries.
The Kensico Cemetery was founded in 1889 in Valhalla at a time when many of the cemeteries in the city of New York were filling up, and several rural cemeteries were founded near the railroads that served the metropolis. Initially 250 acres (100 ha) in size, the cemetery was expanded to 600 acres (2.4 km2) in 1905, but reduced to 460 acres (1.9 km2) in 1912, when a portion of its land was sold to the neighboring Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
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